KARACHI, Jan 19: Madressah managements are dismayed at the pace of implementation of a project promising government support in regard to the arrangements for imparting modern education to their students, in addition to religious studies.
A number of madressahs, which had applied for assistance in response to the education department’s advertisements related to an incentive package for religious education institutions in the province, expressed the view that slackness on the part of government was about to spoil the project of impact.
Despite a lapse of two years, the government has been failing to realize the project on ground. Not a single madressah even after coming up to the expectations of the government and fulfilling its requirements has been geared up for the “much emphasized education”, said a madressah organizer, adding that initiatives and interests of officials concerned and their high-ups counted a lot in the implementation of any project.
The Sindh education department, under a federal government funding, had announced launching of a five-year plan aimed at facilitating about 2,000 institutions of religious education in the province for imparting the modern day education, including Information Technology, as well in phases.
Sources in education circle said that the federal government initially wanted to spend an amount to the tune of Rs6,500 million on the facilitation of about 8,000 madressahs in the country.
In early 2004 the Sindh education department formally announced the plan for providing teachers of formal subjects, textbooks, sports material, stationary, furniture, computers and other facilities to madressahs opting for teaching of formal subjects along with religious curriculum to their students.
The Sindh education department had decided to extend support to 500 madressahs in the first year and as many during the second year, while number of institutions was to be decreased for the purpose in the third year.
Under the scheme, named Madressah Reforms Project, the willing madressahs are required to teach Mathematics, General Science, Social Studies/Pakistan Studies, and English from primary to Matriculation level, while subjects like Pakistan Studies, Economics, Computer Sciences and English may be taught at intermediate level.
The Sindh education department, which got a project director, appointed for the purpose in Nov 2003, was released a fund of about Rs40 million as first instalment.
It received about 170 applications from madressahs, while its related machinery could process and ready only about 30 cases during a span of at least two years, unfortunately none of the fit madressahs have been able to get the promised support so far, added the source.
Since the fund passed on to the Sindh government is non-lapsable despite zero status of the project, efforts are on way at the education department to get the second instalment of the funds, ie about Rs51 million, which is lying with the Sindh finance department, transferred to the department’s coffer, claimed a source.
It was further learnt that the department was considering appointments of 400 teachers in different subjects to meet the needs of about 100 madressahs.
However, how the things will end up no body can predict, said a source privy to the project, adding that it was unfortunate that the project manager, who had now been send on deputation to some other institution, even could not ensure a proper and equipped cell for the ambitious project of the government.
An official of the department said that the authorities were considering writing letters to all madressahs in the province, which, according to latest reports and confirmations by different government agencies, numbered around 1,300, informing them about government’s scheme and support for reformation. Things are needed to be directed afresh, he added.
